Electric connector plug assembling machine



June 27, 1939. R. J. TURNER ELECTRIC CONNECTOR PLUG ASSEMBLING MACHINEFiled Jan. 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l haw/1507".- .ELLSSQMJZUVZQT' June27, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1935 0 w lv Z 2, WW 7 7 3 3 a w w 3 w a0 .0 w Z w fi J J y 7 C 4 x x 2 m H 3 g a 4 Patented June 27, 1939PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CONNECTOR PLUG ASSEBIBLING MACHINE Russell J.Turner, Butler, Pa., assignor to Belden Manufacturing Company, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 26, 1935, Serial No.3,673

11 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for assembling electrical connectorplugs and more particularlyto a device for assembling the prongs of amale type electrical connector plug with a body of resilient materialsuch as rubber, which is pro-formed with passageways for receiving andpositioning the contactprongs.

The main object of the invention is to provide mechanism for assemblinga body part and contact prongs of the type referred to conveniently,rapidly and inexpensively so as to facilitate the production ofresilient rubber or like connector plugs on a practical commercialbasis.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood byreference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (twosheets), wherein there is illustrated mechanism for the purposeindicated according to one simple form of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the axis andprongs of an electrical connector plug, the assembling of which istheobject of the mechanism herein disclosed;

Fig '2 is a side elevation of a simple form of mechanism for the purposeindicated;

Fig. 3 is a. perspective of a plug body holding portion of themechanism; and

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary plans respectively illustratingsuccessive steps or positions of the mechanism in the operation ofassembling a connector plug of the type shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the connector plug illustrated in Fig. 1comprises a body which is formed of resilient material, preferablyrubber or rubber compound, which is soft enough to be distortable andresilient enough to have the property of resuming its normal pre-formedshape (or at least as nearly resuming the same as possible) from anydistorted position or condition.

Electrical contact prongs are designated II, II. They are providedneartheir outer ends with holes l2, l2, substantially in accord withmore or less standardized practice. The inner end portions I3, l3 of thecontact prongs are positioned in the body l'fl in recesses l4, M whichare formed in the body during the molding thereof. The recesses l4, l4do not extend entirely through the plug but terminate within theplugbody so as to form seats l5, I5 adapted to engage the inner ends of theprongs to prevent the prongs from being pushed rearwardly through theplug body.

The prong receiving recesses l4, l4 open to the front end of the plugbody and the opposite or rear end of the latter is provided with arecess or passage 5 which is designed to receive the end portion of aduplex conductor. The wires I1, I! of said duplex conductor arerespectively con nected, as indicated at l8, IE to the inner endportions of the contact prongs. One mode of connecting the wires H, I!to the contact prongs may consist in projecting end portions of thebared wires through suitable openings in the inner end portions of thecontact prongs and soldering the projecting end portions down againstthe outer faces of the rear ends of the contact prongs as indicated. Thepassage i6 communicates with the prong receiving recesses or passages I4through the agency of holes or openings l9, l9.

It will be evident from a consideration of the structure above explainedthat the conductor wires must be connected to the contact prongs I I, IIbefore the latter are assembled with the plug body. This circumstancemakes it desirable, if not actually necessary, to insert the contactprongs from the rear of the connector plug body by passing the prongsforwardly through the openings I6, I9 and l4 The mechanism hereindisclosed effects assemblyof the described connector in the mannerindicated and it comprises a base or bed plate 20 supported on suitableend frames or posts 2|, 2|. A guide block 22 is rigidly secured to thebed plate base 20 by any suitable means, for example, bolts, asindicated. The guide post 22 is provided with an aperture 23 extendingtherethrough and slidably receiving a rod or bar 24. In this instance,the rod 24 is shown as being of circular cross section and the aperture23 consists of a hole bored to slidably receive such rod. The rod isadapted to be reciprocated through the guide post 22 by means of anoperating handle 25 which passes through a slot in the base and ispivoted adjacent its lower end as indicated at 26 on a bracket 21depending from and securely attached to the base plate 20 in anysuitable manner, for example, by means of one or more bolts asindicated. The rod 24 is slotted as indicated at 28 adjacent its outerend to permit the handle 25 to be passed therethrough and the handle ispreferably provided with curved operatingedges such as indicated at- 29,29, where it rests within the-slot ,28 of the slidable rod 24. It willbe evident that by rocking the handle or lever 25 on its pivot, the bar24 will be reciprocated in the guide block 22.

The other end of the reciprocating rod 24 is 3 provided with a built-uphead 30 which carries a number of transversely spaced pivot pins 3|.

The latter project upwardly from the top sur,

face 32 of the head 36, said top surface being preferably substantiallyflat, or at least provided with co-planar bearing surfaces around the respective pivot pins 3|. A pair of fingers 33, 33 are pivoted adjacenttheir rear ends on the respective pivot pins 3i, 3! through the agencyof suitably apertured enlargements 3 3, as best indicated in Figs. 4 to'7 inclusive. Arms or extensions 35, 35 are rigidly connected to, and inthis instance integrally formed with, the fingers 33, 33 and saidextensions at their rear or free ends are provided with upstanding pins36, 36 which are designed to engage the cam surfaces 37, 37 of a cam baror plate 38. The latter is carried by the guide post 22, being securedto the top thereof by such means as bolts 39. A suitable spring such asindicated at 40 connected at its opposite ends and stretched between therear end portions of the finger extensions 35, 35 serves to yieldinglyhold the cam pins 36, 3B in operative engagement with the cam edges 31,37,

The fingers 33, 33 are provided near their forward free ends withlatterly outwardly projecting elements 4|, ll'which are preferablyprovided with small lip portions 42, 42 so as to form retainers forcontact prongs which are adapted to be secured to the fingers by theinsertion of the pin elements 41, 4| through the outer end openlugs l2,12 of the contact prongs. A holder 153 is secured to the forward end ofthe base plate by any suitable means and it is provided in its upper endwith a recess or socket M, the cross-sectional shape of whichapproximates the shape of the plug body which the holder is intended toreceive. The depth of the socket M is preferably slightly greater thanone-half the diameter of the plug body so that the plug body will beadequately supported during the assembling operations, which willpresently be described. The front wall 35 of the socket 44 is providedwith openings such as indicated at 46, 46 which are approximatelyaligned with the contact prong receivingrecesses M, It of the plug body.

The first step in assembling a connector plug of the type shown in Fig.1 is to position the body ID in the socket of the holder 43, asindicated in Fig. 4. The next step is to effect movement of the rod 23and fingers 33 forwardly. The cam surfaces of the cam plate 38 are soshaped that the free ends of the fingers 33 will be steered into theprong receiving recesses l4, It as an incident to the forwardreciprocating movement thereof. The pin elements 4|, 41 of the fingers33 are preferably provided with beveled or inclined front faces 41, 41so as to facilitate the forward movement of the fingers into and throughthe prong receiving recesses l4, l4, As the fingers progress into therecesses It, it, they are caused to move towards each other byappropriate shaping of the cam 38 so that the free ends of the fingerswill enter and pass through the conductor receiving opening 16, so thatin the extreme forward position of the fingers 33, 33, they will occupythe location indicated in Fig. with respect to the connector plug bodyID.

The next step in the operation of assembling the prongs with the plugbody is to attach connector prongs H, H with the respective wires I1, I!attached thereto in the manner indicated, by engaging the finger pinmeans 4|, 4| with the openings I2, l2 in the contact prongs. It will beevident by inspection of Fig. 5 that the lips 42, 42 serve the purposeof preventing lateral displacement of the contact prongs from the hooksor pins 4|.

means The contact prongs with wires attached being properly applied tothe projecting ends of the fingers, the next step is to effect return orrearward movement of the fingers 33, 33 through the agency of theoperating lever handle, with the result that the contact prongs M, iiare pulled into and through the plug body as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7.Of course it will be apparent that the cam 38 is soshaped as to causethe free ends of the fingers to follow the course of the respectiveopenings through which the prongs are pulled, it being also understoodthat due to the resiliency of the body material, the body may be and isdistorted (without destroying the resiliency thereof) as an incident tothe movement of the fingers or fingers and prongs through the plug body.The fingers 33, 33 are shaped approximately as shown in the drawings toreduce to the greatest extent feasible the necessary distortion of theplug body, and to facilitate movement of the fingers through the body,they are preferably finished with smooth and more or less polishedsurfaces. Sharp corners on the fingers are preferably avoided.

When the prongs are pulled through the body to the position in whichthey are illustrated in Fig. '7, the cam 38 operates to effect suchinward movement of the free ends of the fingers 33, 33 as to disengagethe pin portions 3|, ll from the prong apertures l2, l2 so as to freethe plug body and prongs from the operating mechanism of the assemblingdevice. The plug body with the prongs seated therein may now be removedfrom the holder and it is ready for its intended use, except for theseating of the inner ends of the prongs against the bottoms l5, ll: ofthe prong positioning recesses, which is readily accomplished byapplying the required amount of pressure to the outer ends of the prongsso as to cause the latter to move rearwardly in the body.

, The passages l6, l9 and I4 constitute sinuous or tortuous passagewaysthrough which the straight contact prongs are pulled, this beingpermitted by reason of the distortability of the plug body. The openingl6 being centrally disposed in the rear end of the plug body, receivesan end portion of the duplex conductor, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and7, and in some instances, the duplex conductor may be built up by meansof filler cords or the like to form a substantially round duplexconductor which may conveniently be covered with a sheath of rubberinsulation. In such instances, the passage l6 may be of such size as tosnugly fit the conductor and the prong positioning recesses l4, M arealso preferably of such size that the prong will be firmly held withoutmaterial rocking or wobbling movement.

The described mechanism is of very simple form and construction butembodies a practicable form of mechanism required for the purposeillustrated. Changes may of course be made without departing from thespirit of the invention, the scope of which may be determined byreference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadlyas possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

l, In a machine for assembling an electrical contact prong with anelectrical connector plug body having a sinuous passageway extendingtherethrough for the reception of the contact prong, the combination ofa base, a holder on said base for a connector plug body, a fingercarried by said base so as to be movable longitudinally through thesinuous passageway in a plug body in said holder. and also laterally soas to be adapted to follow said sinuous passageway, means 1 through saidopening to approximately follow the course of said passageway, and meanscarried by said finger for engaging a contact prong during the return orrearward movement of the finger for pulling such prong into said body.

2. In a machine for assembling an electrical contact prong with anelectrical connector plug body having a tortuous passageway extendingholder as an incident to the reciprocatory movement of said member,means carried by said finger for engaging a contact prong during thewithdrawal of the finger for pulling said prong into said passageway,the pivotal mounting of said finger serving to permit lateral rockingmovement of the finger whereby the latter is adapted to more or less'follow the course of said tortuous passageway, means for efiecting saidreciprocatory movement of said member and finger, and cam means forcausing portions of said fingers to approximately follow the course ofsaid tortuous passageway.

3. In a machine for assembling an electrical contact prong with anelectrical connector plug body made of resilient material and having asinuous passageway formed therein, a base, a holder for positioning aplug body in predetermined relation to said base, a substantially rigidfinger mounted on said base for reciprocating movement toward and fromsaid holder and for lateral movement simultaneously with saidreciprocating movement, means for efiecting said reciprocating movementof the finger whereby the' finger is adapted to be moved through andwithdrawn from the passageway in a plug body in said holder, means forsimultaneously effecting said lateral movement of the finger so as tocause the leading end portion of the finger to approximately follow thecourse of the passageway, and means carried by said finger for engaginga contact prong during the withdrawal of the finger from said passagewayfor pulling such contact prong into the body, the resiliency of the plugbody serving to permit such distortion of a portion of the plug body bythe finger and by the prong as may be required for the movement of thefingerandprong in the passageway. I

4. In a machine for assembling'an electrica contact prong with anelectrical connector plug body having a sinuous passageway extendingtherethrough for the reception of the contact prong, the combination ofa base, a holder on said base for a connector plug body, a fingercarried by said base so as to be movable longitudinally through thesinuous passageway in a plug body in said holder and also .laterally soas to be adapted to follow said sinuous passageway, lever means foractuating said finger so as to move the same forwardly and thenrearwardly through said passageway, cam means operative as an incidentto the longitudinal movement of said finger to cause a portion of saidfinger to move laterally during its movement through said opening toapproximately follow the course of said passageway, and means carried bysaid finger for engaging a contact' prong during the return or rearwardmovement of the finger for pulling such prong into said body.

c 5. In a machine for assembling a pair of electrical'contact prongswith an electrical connector plug body having a pair .of sinuouspassageways for receiving said prongs, a base, a holder on the base forpositioning a connector plug body, a member mounted on the base forreciprocatory 'rnovement toward and from said holder, .a pair of fingersrockably mounted on said member and adapted to be reciprocated therewithso as to be projected through and withdrawn from the passageways in aconnector plug body in said holder, and a pair of opposed cams forrocking said fingers to thereby efiect lateral movement of the free endportions thereof in approximate conformity to the courses of the prongreceiving passageways.

6. In a machine for assembling a pair of electrical contact prongs withan electrical connector plug body having a pair of sinuous passagewaysfor receiving said prongs, a base, a holder on the base for positioninga connector plug body, a member mounted on the base for reciprocatorymovement toward and from said holder, a pair of fingers rockably mountedon said member and adapted to be reciprocated therewith so as to beprojected through and withdrawn from the passageways in a connector plugbody in said holder, and a pair of opposed stationary cams for rockingsaid fingers as an incident to the reciproeating movement of saidfingers to thereby effect lateral movement of the free end portionsthereof in approximate conformity to the courses of the prong receivingpassageways.

7. In a machine for assembling a pair of electrical contact prongs withan electrical connector plug body having a pair of sinuous passagewaysfor receiving said prongs, a base, a holder on the base for positioninga connector plug'body, a member mounted on the base for reciprocatorymovement toward and from said holder, a pair of fingers rockably mountedon said member and adapted to be reciprocated therewith so as to beprojected through and withdrawn from the passageways in a connector plugbody in. said holder, a pair of opposed stationary cams forsimultaneously but oppositely rocking said fingers as an incident to thereciprocating movement of said fingers to thereby effect lateralmovement of the free end portions thereof in approximate conformity tothe courses of the prong receivingpassageways, and means for maintainingcooperative relationship between said fingers and cams.

8. In a machine for assembling a-pa ir of electrical contact prongs withan electrical connector plug body having a pair of sinuous passagewaysfor receiving said prongs, a base, a holder on the base for positioninga connector plug body, a member mounted on the base for reciprocatorymovement toward and from said holder, a pair of fingers pivotallymounted adjacent their rear ends on said member and adapted to bereciprocated therewith so as to be projected through and withdrawn fromthe passageways in a connector body in said holder, arms connected tosaid fingers and extending rearwardly therefrom beybnd the pivotsthereof, a pair of opposed cams acting on said arms as an incident tothereciproeating movement thereof to eifect rocking of the forward endportions of said fingers in approximate conformity to the courses of thepassageways during the movement of the fingers through the passageways.

9. In a machine for assembling a pair of electrical contact prongs withan electrical connector plug body having a pair of sinuous passagewaysfor receiving said prongs, a base, a holder on the base for positioninga connector plug body, a member mounted on the base for reclprocatorymovement toward and from said holder, a pair of fingers pivotallymounted adjacent their rear ends on said member and adapted to bereciprocated therewith so as to be projected through and withdrawn fromthe passageways in a conhector body in said holder, arms connected tosaid fingers and extending rearwardly therefrom and beyond the pivotsthereof, a part having a pair of opposed cams formed on its oppositeedges, said part being located intermediate said arms and the cams andacting on said arms as an incident to the reciprocating movement thereofto effect rocking of the forward end portions of said fingers inapproximate conformity to the courses of the passageways during themovement of the fingers through the passageways.

10. In a machine for assembling a pair of electrical contact prongs withan electrical connector plug body having .a pair oif sinuous passagewaysfor receiving said prongs, a base, a holder on the base comprising astationary part having a socket formed therein for receiving,positioning and supporting a connector plug body," a member mounted onthe base for reclprocatory movement toward and from said holder, a pairof fingers rocirably mounted on said member and adapted to bereciprocated therewith so as to be projected through and withdrawn fromthe passageways in a connector plug body in said holder, and a pair ofopposed cams for rocking said fingers to thereby effect lateral movementof the free end portions thereof in approximate conformity to thecourses of the prong receiving passageways.

11. In a machine for assembling a pair of electrical contact prongs withan electrical connector plug body having a pair of sinuous passagewaysfor receiving said prongs, a base, a holder on the base for positioninga connector plug body, a member mounted on the base for reciprocatorymovement toward and from said holder, a pair of fingers rockably mountedon said member and adapted to be reciprocated therewith so as to beprojected through and withdrawn from the passageways in a connector plugbody in said holder, and means for rocking said fingers to therebyefiect lateral movement of the free end portions thereof in approximateconformity to the courses of the prong receiving passageways.

RUSSELL J. TURNER.

